Mr Teacher
by AboardTheJollyRoger
Summary: Captain Swan/Lieutenant Duckling AU- Emma Swan lives with her son Henry. All seems to be going well for her, as well as for her son. However, when a certain Irishman comes into her life as Henry's history teacher, things for her begin to change. For the better or worse, Emma can't quite decide. (Rated T to be safe. Rating may change later, depending on how it goes)
1. Chapter 1

"Hey, kid, how was school?" Emma asked as her son walked into the apartment.

"Good, I guess. Oh, we got a new history teacher. He's from Ireland and he's got this really cool accent," Henry says, accepting the hot chocolate his mother handed him.

"Is that so?"

"Yeah. Mr. Jones. He seems to really like teaching history. And around his room there are posters of pirates and such from the past. It's pretty cool, actually."

"Well, I suppose I'll see it when I go and meet him on Friday," Emma said, walking into the living-room part of the apartment and starting to fold the basket of clothes.

"Again? Didn't we _just_ have a parent-teacher meeting?" Henry asked.

"Of course. Two months ago. You know they come every month. Though we missed the last one," Emma said.

Before she knew it, Friday had come, and Emma found herself walking through the hallways of Henry's school. She had just visited all of the teachers but one, and that was her son's history teacher. The last teacher wasn't always showing up for the parent teacher conferences, so Emma never really knew where the history room was. However, before long, she had found it, just as a man and a woman walked out. She then went in and closed the door behind her.

"Ah, hello there," a voice says from behind her. With an accent. That's new. Emma turned on her heel to greet him, but was suddenly struck silent when she did.

The man sitting behind the dark, wooden desk had dark black hair and eyebrows, making his sparkling blue eyes stand out, and he had a lovely smile on his face. However, the man's expression soon changed, as he frowned slightly, raised an eyebrow, and cocked his head to the side.

"Are you all right, lass?" he asked. Emma shook her head slightly.

"I'm fine. Sorry," she said as she approached him. He stood and extended a hand, and she shook it.

"I'm Killian Jones, the new history teacher," he says with that oh-so lovely accent.

"I'm.. Emma Swan. Henry's mother," Emma said as she pulled her hand away and they both took a seat.

"Ah, Henry. He's a great lad. An absolute pleasure to have in class. He isn't afraid to question something or even state his own opinion about it. You've done a great job in raising him," Killian said with a smile. Emma nodded.

"Thank you. I try my best with him. He says he enjoys history class, and even told me that he really enjoys the way you teach things, as opposed to the last teacher, Mr. Gold."

"Aye... Not too many were fond of how he did things. He was rather strict and someone that I myself didn't truly get along with in any way. But I'm just glad the students are getting more out of things now. At least, I'm hoping they are," Killian said with a chuckle. Emma smiled.

"Well, I'm not sure about all of the other kids, but Henry's sure getting a lot from your teachings. He's become interested in pirates as well," she said, gesturing to the posters and facts of historical pirates hanging about the room. There was even a small Captain Hook figurine on his desk, with 'To Mr. J' carved into the base of it. It must have been from a student from somewhere else he'd taught.

"I have always been rather intrigued by pirates, honestly. I don't know why, but they always sparked my interest," Killian said with a warm smile. He then cleared his throat a little. "Anyway... Henry's grades in my class are absolutely wonderful. I truly hope he keeps up the good work."

"Thank you, Mr. Jones," Emma said, standing and shaking his hand once again.

"It's my pleasure, Ms. Swan." They exchanged smiles and Emma turned and left. She felt if she had stayed any longer, she'd have gotten lost in those too blue eyes of his and that wonderful accent. Emma shook her head. She couldn't think like that. This was Henry's teacher. Nothing would happen between them anyway. God, she really needed to stop thinking of this...


	2. Chapter 2

_**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters or OUAT. If I did, many fanfictions would come true.**_

 **Two.**

Emma hissed lightly as she dabbed a cotton ball of rubbing alcohol on her knee, clenching her teeth at the burning sensation on the scratches. Today wasn't one of her easy days. She had to chase a man through the streets, and eventually tackled him to the ground, scraping a bit of her skin in the process. But she was just glad to have gotten the guy.

After bandaging herself up, Emma got into a change of clothes and grabbed her keys. She was to take Henry home from school today, and she didn't want to be late, so she hurried out of the apartment and into her yellow bug, making her way to the school.

Emma was a little surprised to see that no students were exiting the building when she arrived at the school. She got out of the bug, and approached the building, finding a man standing outside. As she grew closer, she saw that it was Mr. Jones, Henry's history teacher.

"Hey, what's going on? Where are the students?" Emma asked. Killian looked up at her, a smile growing on his lips.

"Hello, Ms. Swan," he greeted. "You didn't know? They had a field trip today to the zoo for science class. They shouldn't be too much longer." Emma nodded in understanding, leaning up against the side of the brick wall.

"I must have forgotten, even though he spoke a lot about it this morning," Emma said. She saw Killian look her over a bit, and she wanted to call him out on it, but he spoke first.

"Are you all right, lass?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Why?"

"Well, you have a few scrapes on your arm and elbow. Did something happen?" he asked, seeming rather concerned. It almost made Emma's heart swell, but she shook it away.

"Oh, right... No, I'm fine. I'm a bounty hunter. I was chasing a man today and got a bit scraped up. Nothing major, but thanks... for your concern," she said.

"Bounty hunter? I must say, Ms. Swan, that's impressive. Though I couldn't say I'm too surprised. With the way Henry speaks of you, I knew you couldn't just be some florist or anything. I knew you must have been some sort of badass," he replied with a grin and a laugh. Emma rolled her eyes, but smiled softly.

"Are you trying to say there aren't any badass florists out in the world?" Killian laughed. He seemed about to say something, but just then, the bus pulled up, and kids began filing out. Henry soon ran up to Emma with a large grin.

"Hey, mom!" he said.

"Hey, kid," she said with a smile, ruffling his hair. "Why don't you go in and get your things? I'll be out by the bug, all right?" Henry nodded and went off inside. Emma then turned back to Killian. "Well, it was nice seeing you again, I guess. Um..." She stuck out her hand, and Killian laughed, taking it into his own and shaking it.

"It was a pleasure, Swan." He then lifted her hand and kissed her knuckles. "Until next time. Have a lovely evening," Killian said with a wink before heading in the other direction. Emma swallowed and shook her head, then went to her bug to wait for Henry, who came out soon after.

"Sooo?"

"So?"

"What do you think of Mr. Jones?"

"What do you mean, Henry?"

"I saw you two talking when the bus pulled up. I also saw him kiss your hand, and stayed inside so I wouldn't interrupt," he said with a wink as they walked up the stairs to the apartment. Emma rolled her eyes.

"You wouldn't have interrupted anything. We were just two adults having a simple conversation," Emma said.

"Didn't look like that from where I was. You blushed and were smiling non-stop."

"What are you trying to get at?"

"You know he's single, right?"

"Henry!"

"What? He is! And he's clearly into you."

"I don't care what he is, it's not your business, or my own, to be prying into his love life, let alone his life at all outside of him being your teacher."

"Aw, come on, Mom-"

"No more talking about this right now, Henry. Got it?"

"Fine.." Henry muttered, hanging up his book bag and heading to the refrigerator.

"So what are you wanting for dinner?"

"I'm not too hungry. Maybe just a snack. We ate a late lunch on the field trip. Is that okay?"

"Perfectly okay. I'm not up for much, either. Do you have any homework?"

"Just a few research things for History is all. Otherwise I'm good for tomorrow. I have a vocabulary test also, but I'm pretty sure I'll do fine with it. How was work today?" Henry asked, grabbing two water bottles from the fridge and tossing one to his mother. Emma caught it and shrugged.

"It was work. Got a little scraped up, but nothing too serious. How was the field trip?"

"Fine. We just went to a zoo. Avery fell into a small aquarium while looking down at it. It was the funniest thing ever! Then a monkey stuck his hand through the fencing and pulled Zoey's hair out of her ponytail. Amy got freaked out by a lion, and James tried to climb the elephant's fence. It was all a zoo within itself."

"And what about you?"

"Oh, mom, I was an angel. Like always," Henry said, grinning and batting his eyes. He then laughed and shook his head. "Nah, I managed to behave. Some kids had to have their parents come and pick them up because they were so misbehaved. I knew you would em style="box-sizing: border-box;"not/em have been happy if I were one of those kids."

"You're right. I wouldn't have been. So it's a good thing. Anyway, I'm going to go shower. Get your history research done. I don't want a call from Mr. Jones saying you didn't complete your assignment."

"Oh, please, mom. You know you would _definitely_ want a call from him." Emma just went into her room and slammed the door, making Henry laugh.


	3. Chapter 3

**_A/N: I want to thank those who have reviewed, followed, and favorited this story! It means a lot to me! Thank you, and I hope you enjoy!_**

 ** _Disclaimer: I don't own OUAT or its characters. Unfortunately._**

 **Three**

The phone fell away from Emma's hand, but even the loud crash it caused didn't reach her ears. Everything seemed to stop, those words only echoing in her ear:

 _ **Emma Swan? We need you down at the hospital. It's your son, Henry. Something's happened.**_

"Where is he?! Where's my son?!" Emma yelled, fighting through a small group of nurses. A doctor soon came up. One she knew very well.

"Emma, calm down, please. Henry is in safe hands. Follow me, and I'll explain," Dr. Whale said, and Emma immediately began following, wanting nothing more than an explanation and to see her son.

"What the hell happened?"

"Relax. I'm getting to that. According to bystanders, Henry was trying to cross the street, when a drunk driver lost control," he said and could hear Emma suck in a breath, waiting for the worst. "However..." She exhaled just a little. "A man used himself to shield Henry from the worst of it, and took a lot of the damage himself. They were both knocked unconscious," he explained, and opened the door to Henry's room. Emma immediately rushed in, her heart breaking at the sight of him in the hospital bed, scrapes and scratches littering his body. She took his small hand in her own, giving it a soft squeeze.

"Henry... I'm so sorry..." Emma choked out, tears blurring her vision and burning the back of her throat and eyes, one or two slipping down her cheeks. Her son was still unconscious, and all was quiet, save for the beeping of the heart monitor, telling her his heartbeat was steady, thankfully. She reached out and brushed some of his hair from her face, kissing his forehead. After a while, she then turned back to Whale. "Who is he?"

"Excuse me?"

The man who.. saved him. Who is he?"

"Ah, yes. Follow me," he said, and Emma gave Henry's forehead one more kiss, then followed the doctor out of the room. He led her to another room, and pushed the door open. A nurse was dressing a wound on his cheek, then nodded at Whale and left the room. Emma's breath caught in her throat at the man lying in the hospital bed. She recognized him as none other than Henry's history teacher. Killian Jones.

 **Earlier**

Killian walk walking down town, wanting to grab something to go from Granny's, and make his way home. Seemed simple enough. He then noticed a boy walking nearby, and immediately recognized him as Henry Swan. The boy was walking across the street, alone, when some car came swerving out of nowhere. Before he knew it, Killian was shouting out to Henry and running after him. He knew he wouldn't make it in time. He jumped the last few steps to Henry, and felt the impact of the vehicle against his body, knocking him out immediately.

 **Present**

As if at the thought of his name, Killian groaned softly and opened his too-blue cobalt eyes. He glanced around the room, taking in his surroundings, then saw a blurred form with hair that seemed to shine brighter than the sun standing at his bedside. The blurriness soon faded, and he found himself looking into the emerald eyes of Emma Swan. He gave a small smile.

"Hello, love. To what do I owe the pleasure?" he asked, voice hoarse, soft, low, deep, and husky all at once. His accent seemed deeper as well. He then saw a frown on her lips, and his smile faded. "Your boy... Is he all right?" he asked, making to sit up, but grunting in pain and falling back to the bed. Emma gave a light smile, despite herself.

"Yes.. He's all right. Unconscious, but no major injuries." She took in and let out a shaky breath. "You saved him... And I.. I can't thank you enough for that," she said, a sob threatening to make its way out, and she covered her mouth with her hand, but a few tears rolled down her cheeks.

"Lass, it's all right. I would never have just stood by and watched it happen," Killian said, reaching out and taking her hand. "I would have done it for anyone."

"Yes, but the fact that you still did it... I just... I could have lost my son today, Killian. I would have never again seen his smile, heard his voice... told him I loved him," she said, a sob finally breaking through at the last part. She gave his hand a squeeze. Whale cleared his throat.

"Sorry to interrupt, but I would like to speak with Mr. Jones very quickly," he said, flipping through papers on a clipboard. "You have a few cracked ribs, but otherwise, you're fine. The cut on your cheek is rather deep, deeper than the others, but it's nothing major. However, it may scar."

"A man can always handle a few battle wounds and show off his scars," Killian said with a grin, causing Emma to roll her eyes, but smile softly.

"We gave you some pain medicine, so after that wears off, you will feel more pain in your chest area, especially when you breath, cough, et cetera. You will need to stay in the hospital for a month at least by the looks of it," Whale explained. Killian groaned.

"Great, now I need to go through the trouble of finding a substitute," he grumbled. Emma raised her eyebrows.

"Seriously? That's what you're worried about? Finding a substitute teacher? You do realize you have broken ribs, right?" she said.

"Battle wounds, love. But now I have to stay here at least a month. What am I going to do?" he said.

"What about family? They'll visit," she offered. Killian only averted his eyes, and Emma bit her lip. Family seemed to be a sensitive topic for him, as well. "I'll visit," she said without thinking. Killian quickly looked back at her, his blue eyes sparkling a little.

"You will?"

"Yeah. I promise. After all, it's the least I could do for saving my son's life... I really do owe you," she said. Killian grinned.

"How about a date, then?" he purred. Emma once again rolled her eyes.

"You're in the hospital, buddy. I doubt that would go over too well," she said. Killian was about to say something, but was cut off by her. "Oh my god, what happened to your hand?" she asked, looking at his left hand that lay by his side. Killian looked over at it, seeing it all bandaged up and spotted with blood.

"Ouch. That looks like it's really gonna hurt," he said. They both looked over at Whale, who began flipping through papers again.

"Oh! Right, your left hand took quite a bit of damage as well. A broken wrist," Whale said.

"And you weren't going to tell him about this?" Emma asked.

"I apologize, but I seemed to have forgotten about it," he said, scratching the back of his neck. Emma sighed.

"Sometimes I wonder what Ruby sees in you, Victor..." Emma grumbled, and Killian laughed, then clutched at his chest and groaned. "And your medicine seems to be wearing off," she added. A nurse soon knocked and stepped in.

"Doctor Whale? Henry Swan is waking up," she said, and nodded at Emma.

"Oh, thank goodness," Emma said breathlessly. She turned to Killian again and kissed his forehead, then his good cheek. "Thank you, again. I promise to come and visit," she said before hurrying out of the room to find her son again.


	4. Chapter 4

_**A/N: I wanted to thank all of those who have favorited/followed and reviewed this story! It makes really happy to get the emails saying such. The reviews always make me smile, and they mean a lot to me. Thank you all so much, and I hope you enjoy what's to come!**_

 ** _Disclaimer: I own nothing._**

 **Four**

"Really?"

"Yes."

"But-"

"I thought I told you there'd be consequences to you arguing with me."

"And yet you won't give me a reward when I don't argue with you."

"Because you don't need one."

"I think I do."

"And why is that?"

"To ensure I continue to be good."

"Don't wink at me like that."

"You like it... Wait! Don't leave!" Killian sighed. "All right. I'll eat the damn Jell-O. Give it here," he murmured. Emma grinned and scooped some of the blue substance onto the spoon, holding it out to him. "You're going to feed me now?"

"What did I say about arguing?" Emma asked with a quirk of her eyebrow.

"I'm not arguing. Not complaining either." Killian ate what was on the spoon, giving Emma yet another wink. She rolled her eyes.

"You're a pain, you know."

"Aye, but you continue to visit."

"Because you saved my son's life. And I promised I would visit. I keep my promises."

"And I thank you for that." He'd grown serious and placed his good hand on Emma's, looking her in the eyes. "I really do." Emma gave him a soft smile, sitting on the bed next to him.

"It's nothing. I-"

"I'm here," someone called at the door. Emma looked up to see Henry coming into Killian's hospital room, dropping his backpack on the floor before walking over. "Hey, Mr. Jones. How're you holding up?" Killian smiled.

"Great. Thanks, lad. And my class?" The boy shrugged.

"Fine, I guess. Miss Syreni is a great substitute. She keeps the class in order and also keeps things enjoyable," he said.

"Miss Syreni?" Emma asked before turning to Killian. "I've never heard of her before."

"Her full name is Ursula Syreni. Funny, though. It's latin for 'mermaid' and there's an Ursula in _The Little Mermaid_ ," Killian said, seeming amused at this. He then cleared his throat. "Anyway, I know her from long ago. Way back in college. The school she was previously working for shut down for some things, so she's taking up substitute teaching until she can find another full-time job. She was more than happy to come in for me while I'm kept up in this hospital."

"Wow.. You two have a lot of history, then," Emma said. Killian laughed, and she realized he found the 'history' thing funny. Because he's a history teacher. Seriously, why does she even bother with this guy?

"Oh! And..." Henry searched through his bag before pulling out a folder, then a packet of papers. He brought it over to both his mother and his teacher. he was grinning, and they both understood as they saw the large **100% A+** in the top right corner.

"Hey, great job, lad!" Killian praised, smiling widely. He hated being out during tests. Well, he hated being out in general, but he was convinced that Emma was paying the doctors to keep him in here to 'heal more'. Even so, he was glad he didn't need to worry too much about his class.

"Wow, Henry. This is great!" Emma said, kissing the top of her son's head. Henry proudly took in all the praise, grinning widely. He then checked the time.

"Shoot. I gotta go. I told Avery that we'd hang out tonight," he said, then turned to Emma. "Can I? Please, Mom? Pleeeeaaase?" He'd grabbed his mother's hand and held it tightly, pleading with both his words and eyes. Emma sighed.

"All right, fine. But don't forget to get hold of me, all right?"

"Got it! Thanks, Mom!" He kissed her cheek and grabbed his back pack. "See ya later, Mr. Jones!" Then he was gone.

"He's a good kid, Swan," Killian said after the door closed, smiling fondly. Emma gave a soft smile of her own.

"Yeah.. He really is.." She felt his hand on her's again, and she looked at him.

"Hey... You all right?"

"I'm... I'm fine, Killian."

"I don't believe that for a second."

"Really, it's nothing. I don't want to discuss it right now."

"All right, lass. As you wish."

Emma had promised to visit on occasion, but after visiting twice in one week, she found herself then visiting every night. Even when she was tired, she would make time. She knew what it was like to have nobody there for her, and Killian was a great guy. He deserved company from people other than doctors and nurses. So no matter what, she would make time for visiting her son's savior.

Killian kept his mouth shut about the more frequent visits. He could tell she was a guarded person, and he worried that one wrong move could make her skittishness show again and she'd run off. He didn't want that one bit. Besides, he wouldn't complain. He loved when she visited. It always made him smile brightly when she poked her head in, asking if it was a good time. There were only a few times she had come in while he was asleep, but he'd wake up to a handwritten note from her the next day. Even that had him smiling for the rest of the day. He loved that she even left a little note, just saying she was sorry to have missed him, but that she'll come again the next day, and hopefully he'd be awake. He normally was.

Killian healed surprisingly well and quickly, and he was able to leave a month later. Emma was there to help him out, and even drove him home.

"You really didn't have to do this, love." Emma's chest tightened a bit at the term of endearment. He'd been using it quite a bit recently, using it as a replacement of 'lass'. It still took a bit of getting used to.

"It's no problem. It's the least I can do... You saved my son's life, Killian. I owe you so much," she said. She didn't know what she'd do without Henry. He was everything to her. Yes, he came from one of the greatest mistakes of her life, but he was a gift to her. Neal was a mistake, not Henry. He was her whole world. She'd be nothing without him. And she almost lost him, had Killian not been around.

She parked by the small house Killian directed her to, and went to help him out of the passenger side.

"All right," he said as he unlocked the door to his house.

"All right?" Emma repeated, confused.

"All right. You said you owe me. Here's me cashing that in." He walked inside, and she subconsciously followed. he then turned to her. "Go out with me."

Emma was completely taken aback. "I... What?"

"Go out with me. On a date. To dinner." How could he be so confident like that? However, that thought was taken over by others. She'd done her best to keep from dating since Neal. Well, she'd really done more of keeping out of relationships. A date or two with the same guy were okay, but she never let them get serious. She couldn't let herself get hurt again. However, she had a feeling deep down that Killian didn't just want one or two dates. She felt he was going to fight for her affections.

It was dangerous.

She shouldn't.

She wouldn't.

She won't.

"All right."

 _So much for that._

"Really?" Killian asked, eyes wide. He apparently thought she'd decline. Emma only nodded.

"Yeah. I owe you, right?"

"Aye," Killian said with an absent nod. He then cleared his throat and scratched the back of his ear. "So... How does Friday night sound?"

Emma found herself nodding.

She was doing this. Agreeing to a date with him.

"All right. Um.." Before he could say much more, she'd taken his phone from his hand without thinking and dialed her number, and they heard her phone ring inside her pocket, and gave it back to him.

"Text me the details. Or call. Or... whatever.." She cleared her throat. "I should go.. Henry's probably waiting.."

"Aye... I'll see you later, love."

"Yeah.." She offered him a small smile before turning and leaving, getting into her bug and driving off.

He watched her from the doorway. He couldn't believe she agreed. Honestly, he felt like the happiest man alive at the moment, and he quickly grabbed his phone to put Emma in his contacts, then sent her a quick text.

 **[Killian] I'll pick you up at five on Friday.**

He didn't have to wait long for a reply, and he only hoped she was safe back home, not texting on the road.

 **[Emma] Sounds good.**

 **[Killian] Wear something cute.**

 **[Emma] Go to sleep, Killian. I'm ignoring you now.**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Thank you all so much to those who favorited and reviewed/commented! Comments mean the world to me, as I love to know what you guys think! I do hope you enjoy this chapter!**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing from OUAT, or the restaurant D'Vine (from Drogheda, Ireland).**

 **Five.**

-/-

Before Emma knew it, Friday had come. She could barely concentrate for more than ten minutes at a time while at work, and that didn't leave her too happy.

Damn Killian and his way of getting into her head. It was just a date. One date. She was only doing it because she owed him big time. Hell, she probably owed him her whole life..

Emma groaned and let her head fall to the desk.

"You all right, Emma?" a voice asked from the doorway of her office. She looked up to see David standing there, looking a little concerned.

"Yeah. Fine. Just... distracted, is all."

"Distracted from work? You? Now that's unheard of," David joked. "But what's the deal? Is Henry all right? Did he have to go back to the hospital?" Emma shook her head.

"No, Henry's fine, thank god. It's just... Stupid. I've got a date tonight and it keeps getting me away from work," she said. By now, David had seated himself in a chair on the other side of Emma's desk. His eyes widened a bit.

"You? Have a date?"

"Hey!"

"Now I didn't mean it like that. I mean it like... Well, I just know that you don't go out often. I know this is kind of rare for you. Can you blame me for being surprised?"

"No," Emma said with a sigh. She ran her hands over her face with a groan. "I don't know. It just doesn't seem right. I fear that if things don't go well between us, Henry will suffer the consequences." David looked confused.

"What does Henry have to do with any of it?"

"Well... you see... The guy I'm going on a date with is kind of... his teacher?" Emma said warily, biting her lip.

"The one who saved Henry?"

"Yeah."

"And you're worried that if you two don't hit it off, he'll make things more difficult on Henry?" Emma nodded, David sighed. "Emma, he saved your son's life. I doubt he's cruel enough to do such a think just because you two didn't 'click' right away. He seems like a great guy." David paused, leaning in a bit. "But if he does hurt you, he'll definitely be hearing from me."

"Oh, quiet," Emma said, laughing a little. "You're like an overprotective father."

"Well, someone has to be," David joked. He reached across the desk and took one of Emma's hands. "Give him a chance. Give yourself a chance. I'm sure it'll all be fine." With that, David smiled at her and left.

Emma slumped back in her chair and sighed. The last time she gave a man and herself a chance, she ended up pregnant and in prison.

-/-

"Hey... Henry..." Killian whispered over to the student. Henry looked up, then stood and went to his teacher's desk.

"Yeah?"

"Are you busy right after school?"

"No. Why?"

"I need to talk to you about some things. Is that okay?"

Henry was a little confused, but nodded and went back to his seat.

When the three o'clock bell rang for both class and school to be let out, Henry went over to Killian's desk once again.

"Okay... so..." Killian scratched the back of his ear, making sure only he and Henry were in the room before starting. "Remember when I was in the hospital and I asked you if it would be okay for me to ask your mother out?" Henry nodded. "Well, she accepted, believe it or not."

"Really? Awesome! Finally!" Henry's cheeks then grew red and he rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment. "Um... Anyway... What were you going to say?"

"Well, I was going to ask if it was still okay with you, but it seems I already got that answer," Killian said, chuckling softly. "And I also really want this date to work out. She seems guarded, and I don't want to do something to mess everything up."

"I understand. Well, really, what you've been doing must be good if she accepted to go on a date. But if you want to know more, I'll tell you. First of all, be yourself. It's old advice, but Mom hates when guys turn out to not be who they said they were. But don't dump a lot on her, as she's not too good with that kind of stuff. Take things nice, slow, and easy. Go her pace. I don't think she's big on men just swooning over her, and she does get nervous, so try to maybe crack a few jokes, or even tease like you normally do, just to ease the tension she could be feeling. And she likes flowers, despite how tough she likes to look. She's even got a flower tattoo on the inside of her wrist."

Killian raised his eyebrow. A tattoo? Honestly, he would never have guessed. "All right. Is there any flowers she isn't fond of?"

"Not really, no. She likes roses and those really neat looking lilies. A lot of unique flowers as well," Henry said. "But I really don't know anything about dating. I only know about my mom. So other than that, you're on your own." Killian nodded.

"Aye, all right. Now you'd best be getting home. Don't want to worry your mother," Killian said.

"Got it. See ya, Mr. Jones. Good luck!" And with that, Henry was gone.

-/-

Emma sighed heavily and took another look in the full-length mirror hanging from her bedroom door. This was the fifth dress she'd tired on since she got home. This one was red and went down about mid-thigh. There was a matching red lace overlying all of it, and making up sleeves that go a little below her elbows, and the hem of the lace reaches just a few inches past on her thigh where the original is cut off. She tugged at the lace hem.

Was there too much lace? Is it too much in general? He _is_ a teacher. Maybe she should have worn some sort of suit. _**He's a teacher, Emma. Not a governor,**_ she thought to herself as she slipped on matching red heels.

She was not changing again, that's for sure. She styled her hair in soft, semi-loose rings, then clipped on her signature necklace before checking herself in the mirror once more, nodding, and exiting her bedroom.

Henry was on the couch, flipping through channels. He glanced over at her briefly. "Hey, Mom. You look nice."

"Thanks, kid," Emma said, grabbing a small purse and stuffing her phone inside after checking the time. Five 'til. _Breathe_. "You sure you're going to be all right while I'm... y'know, out?" Henry gave a small laugh.

"Mom, it's okay. You can call it a date. I'm sure that's what Mr. Jones is calling it," he said. Emma froze.

"How did you know-"

Suddenly, there was a knock on the apartment door. Her heart jumped a little, and she glanced at Henry, then sighed and kissed the top of his head. "Be good, okay? I don't know how long I'll be gone." Emma grabbed her purse and made her way to the door, taking a deep breath before reaching out and pulling it open.

This time, her breath caught.

Killian stood there, taking her in. And she was doing the same. He was wearing a white button down shirt, which had the first few buttons undone to reveal a delicious amount of dark chest hair. He wore an all-black blazer over it, and a pair of dark jeans. His hair- oh, god, his hair- was a perfect mixture of messy and combed, and he had a _slightly_ thicker coat of scruff on his jaw. He looked amazing, and deep down, Emma found herself really getting hungry, but not for food.

 _ **Get it together, Emma!**_

"You look absolutely breathtaking, love," Killian said, meeting her eyes again. Emma smiled softly.

"You don't look too bad yourself, Jones," she replied.

"Shall we be off, then?" he asked, holding his arm out for her.

"Yeah," Emma murmured.

"Have her back by twelve!" Henry called out. Killian laughed.

"Yes, sir," Killian called back. Emma smiled lightly and closed the door as she and Killian walked down to his car.

-/-

"Wow... what is this place?" Emma asked as Killian opened the door for her and held a hand to her to help her out.

"D'Vine. A wine bar and restaurant," Killian said with a smile as he opened the restaurant door for her.

"Well, I'm certainly glad it isn't Granny's," Emma said, and they both chuckled. Killian then went to the desk to speak with the woman there. He'd made reservations. God, it was a good thing she had decided against canceling. She would have felt awful.

He soon returned and took her hand in his own as they followed the woman to their seat.

Her breath caught for the second time that day.

It was a small table towards the back of the restaurant with a breathtaking view of the ocean. Killian pulled her seat out for her, and she wondered why he was such a gentleman. And why he was such a nice guy. He deserved far better than her.

Killian sat across from her, smiling sweetly at her. "So... Is it to your liking?" he asked as she looked around.

"Killian... it's amazing, really. Thank you," she said, smiling appreciatively. Killian smiled happily and reached for one of her hands, giving it a small squeeze.

"It's no problem, Emma," he said, then gestured to the wine menu. "Now... Shall I order us something to drink?"

-/-

Emma let out a laugh, one that bubbled up inside of her and spilled over with happiness. "Wait... so how did you get that cut..?"

Killian flushed a little, eyes on his blackberry wine as he scratched the back of his ear. "Like I said, I was three, so it's not like I knew what I was doing!" he said in his defense. "I wanted to be a bit like my father, so one day I found his razor and tried to shave..." he mumbled, rubbing at the scar on his right cheek. However, he smiled at the laugh the story brought from her once again.

"I'm sorry, but that is just hilarious and adorable," Emma said, taking a sip of her wine. Her date raised a dark eyebrow.

"Adorable? Oh, love, I can assure you I"m anything but adorable," he purred seductively, swiping his tongue over his lips. Emma couldn't hide the soft flush that reached her cheeks. She blamed it on the alcohol.

"Anyway," she said, deciding to change the subject. "I'm full. This... this has been great." Emma gives him a sweet smile, and he returns it, reaching across the table to take her hand, giving it a soft squeeze.

"Aye, it's been just amazing, Emma. Thank you for coming out with me," he said.

-/-

"Would you like to take a small walk down by the docks?"

His voice cut through the silence as they left the restaurant. Emma startled, but thankfully not in any visible way.

"Um... Yeah, sure. Let's go," she said, offering a soft smile. Killian took her hand and led the way, enjoying the press of their palms together, the way her fingers fit perfectly in the spaces between his own. Everything was just perfect.

"Wow... It's so beautiful," Emma said as she looked out on the dark horizon, where the sky met the ocean. The moon cast a perfect glow, and she watched as fish jumped from the water and dove back in. Killian smiled, watching the stars and moon sparkle in the reflection of her emerald eyes, not looking away.

"Aye... I couldn't agree more," he said softly. She must have known he was referring to her because he caught sight of a soft pink hue spreading across her cheeks.

About ten or fifteen minutes later, they decided it was time to head back.

-/-

Killian walked with her up to her door, and she turned to him with a sweet smile.

"Thank you again, Killian. Tonight was great. I had an amazing time with you," Emma said, giving his hand a squeeze.

"My thoughts exactly, darling. So.. I was hoping.. Perhaps you'd like to go out with me again?" he asked almost shyly.

Emma hesitated for a moment. Was it safe? Of course she had an amazing night with him, but... should she risk it? But if she didn't, would Henry suffer the consequences? She sighed internally, then looked up at him.

"I was hoping you'd ask," she spoke with a smile. He grinned happily, eyes sparkling. Emma leaned in and kissed his cheek, lingering a little as she felt his scruff against her lips when they brushed his jaw. She then pulled back, eyes sparkling up at his. "Goodnight, Killian."

"Goodnight, Emma," he said, and she disappeared into the apartment.


End file.
